The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change – FDC party President Patrick Amuriat Oboi has raised concern over the slow pace of compensation of victims of the insurgency in the Teso region.
While campaigning for FDC candidate in the Serere by-election Mr. Amuriat said that compensation of the people of Teso for cattle stolen from during the insurgency, has been pending for long and needs to be handled urgently.
“Compensation has taken a long time to reach the beneficiaries; people who were internally displaced were promised but all in vain,” he said.
He added that many people lost their cattle, which were their source of livelihood.
“People were promised cattle or cash compensation in order to recover financially but it has taken a long time,” he said adding that, “this has affected peoples’ confidence in the NRM government to deliver its promises”.
Emmanuel Eratu on his part said that the NRM government through its line Ministries in charge of implementing the assurances have frustrated the local people.
He promised to pressure the government to fulfill its pledges once elected the MP while also adding that there is an influx of young people into the boda – boda sector due to failure in the education sector.
In 2018, the High Court in Soroti ordered the government to pay people in Teso over the violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms after the Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa and 2,020 others dragged the Attorney General to court.
Other people also dragged the government to court on related issues forcing the government to opt for a Consent Judgment with claimants in some cases.
However, the lists availed for compensation by the government, less than 50,000 people were recommended for verification to access compensation, an issue that has infuriated several other people.
While in Serere recently, the Vice President, Jessica Alupo said that the cabinet had approved compensation of 150 Billion Shillings for Acholi, Lango and Teso.
She said that the compensation would commence before the end of the year.
Alupo added that the cabinet had also considered other people who could have missed in the first list to register and would benefit from subsequent payrolls on compensation.